St. Davids GC’s Howsons repeat as victors in Father & Son (Older)

  TELFORD, Pa. – Jay Howson, Jr. and his son Gregory, both of St. Davids GC, successfully defended their title Tuesday by carding a 1-over-par 73 in the 98th edition of the Father & Son (Older) at Indian Valley CC (par 72, 6,141 yards).

  The team was declared the winners because David Brookreson and his son Jesse of Huntingdon Valley CC, as well as the duo of Michael Brown, Sr. and his son Michael of Philadelphia Publinks GA, were unable to return for a sudden-death playoff. Those teams also carded a 1-over-par 73.

  “It feels great,” Gregory, of Malvern, Pa., said. “I came out with the expectation to enjoy a different golf course, have fun and play as hard as we could.”

  “And we did all of the above,” Jay, also of Malvern, Pa., said.

  The Howson duo began their round with a birdie on No. 1 (par 4, 375 yards). Jay’s drive found the fairway, and Gregory struck a wedge 130 yards. Jay then converted a left-to-right breaking 25-footer. They made the turn at 2 over, and knew they needed to dig a tad deeper.

  “He said to me on the 10th tee that we needed to make a couple birdies,” Gregory, 39, said. “And that was the goal.”

  An inward birdie didn’t come until No. 15 (par 5, 533 yards). Jay, 71, stuck a wedge to 10 feet, and Gregory drained the birdie putt. They approached No. 18 (par 4, 360 yards) hoping to close out with a birdie, but two-putted for par after Jay drilled a 9-iron 90 yards to 25 feet.

  “We wanted to be outright on the board,” Jay, who currently leads the Super-Senior Player of the Year standings, said. “He made a really good putt and left it right in my range – about a foot.”

  The Brookresons felt they played a consistent round, though both confessed that they left a few shots on the course.

  “We kept it in play all day long,” Jesse, of Warrington, Pa., said. “We hit fairways and greens. Unfortunately, we didn’t make a lot of putts.”

  “We thought we could’ve done better,” David, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., added.

  The duo experienced a three-putt for bogey on No. 15 (par 5, 533 yards) as David failed to convert a one-footer for par. After reaching the green in two strokes on the treacherous par 5, 492-yard No. 3, the Brookreson’s four-putted from 25 feet.

  But the putts did fall in red fashion on Nos. 1 (par 4, 375 yards), 8 (par 5, 500 yards) and 12 (par 5, 480 yards). Jesse blasted a wedge 115 yards out of the right-side rough on No. 1 to two inches.

  “I had a big breaker on that thing,” David said jokingly of the forthcoming tap-in birdie.

  Jesse drained a 25-footer for birdie on No. 12 after David’s smooth wedge found the green from 108 yards out. After the duo both powered solid drives on No. 8, Jesse’s approach settled 10 yards short of the green. David pitched up to eight feet and Jesse cleaned up the birdie putt.

  For the past 20 years, David Brookreson and his son Jesse, both of Huntingdon Valley CC, have competed “off and on” in the Golf Association of Philadelphia Father & Son tournaments. Ultimately, the duo felt proud of the way they played together.

  “It was a fun day,” David said.

 The Brown team complimented one another’s play.

  “We both drove the ball very well, so we always had an opportunity for a pretty basic shot to each green,” Michael, 36, said. “We didn’t try to do anything too out of the ordinary with the putting. We kept it simple. I left him a lot of four-footers out there, and he made every one.”

  The Cheltenham, Pa., residents fired birdies on Nos. 8 (par 5, 474 yards) and 10 (par 4, 332 yards). Michael, the reigning Middle-Amateur Champion, nearly holed out for eagle on No. 8 as his approach wedge stopped four inches short of the cup. Michael, Sr., 59, cleaned up the birdie putt. After electing to use Michael’s drive on No. 10, the elder Brown pinched a 60-degree wedge to five feet. Michael, the reigning Middle-Amateur Champion, nearly holed out for eagle on No. 8. Michael, Sr., 59, cleaned up the birdie putt.

  “We both drove the ball very well, so we always had an opportunity for a pretty basic shot to each green,” Michael, 36, said. “We didn’t try to do anything too out of the ordinary with the putting. We kept it simple. I left him a lot of four-footers out there, and he made every one.”

  The team’s only hiccup came on No. 9 (par 4, 340 yards). The elder Michael’s 60-degree wedge came to rest 35-feet short of the flagstick. Michael’s downhill birdie putt scooted four feet past the cup, and his father missed the comebacker.

  “I left him shy,” Michael, Sr. said. “He played it well. I had a little bit of a struggle there.”

  Nevertheless, the duo enjoyed competing together in their third Father & Son tournament.

  “I enjoy getting out with Mike and playing like this,” Michael, Sr. said. “It’s a little competition. We work together, and that’s nice.”

  The Brown team carded a 6-under-par 66 (net) to win the Net Division of the event. Charles McClaskey of Wyncote GC and his son Bryan of Merchantville CC logged a 2-over-par 74 (gross) to triumph in the Super-Senior flight.